S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5234
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 7, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, CARROLL -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to increasing
   the penalties for purposefully obstructed license plates
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision 5-a of section 401 of the vehicle and traffic
 law is amended by adding a new paragraph d to read as follows:
   D. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO REGISTER, REREGISTER, RENEW,
 REPLACE OR TRANSFER THE REGISTRATION, CHANGE THE NAME, ADDRESS OR  OTHER
 INFORMATION  OF THE REGISTERED OWNER, OR CHANGE THE REGISTRATION CLASSI-
 FICATION OF ANY VEHICLE WHOSE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER  IS  ASSOCI-
 ATED WITH A VEHICLE WHOSE REGISTRATION HAS BEEN SUSPENDED, OR IS SUBJECT
 TO  A  PENDING REQUEST FROM A TOLLING AUTHORITY TO SUSPEND THE REGISTRA-
 TION, UNDER PARAGRAPH D OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION FIVE HUNDRED TEN
 OF THIS CHAPTER AND 15 NYCRR 127.14. THE COMMISSIONER OR THE COMMISSION-
 ER'S AGENT SHALL IMPOSE A VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER BLOCK  AND  DENY
 THE  REGISTRATION,  REREGISTRATION,  RENEWAL, REPLACEMENT OR TRANSFER OF
 THE REGISTRATION FOR SUCH  VEHICLE  AND  VEHICLE  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER
 UNTIL  THE  TOLLING  AUTHORITY  ADVISES,  IN SUCH FORM AND MANNER AS THE
 COMMISSIONER SHALL  PRESCRIBE,  THAT  NOTICES  OF  VIOLATION  HAVE  BEEN
 RESPONDED TO AND ANY UNPAID TOLLS, FEES OR OTHER CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH
 THE  VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER HAVE BEEN PAID TO THE
 TOLLING AUTHORITY. WHERE AN APPLICATION IS DENIED PURSUANT TO THIS PARA-
 GRAPH, THE COMMISSIONER MAY, IN THE COMMISSIONER'S  DISCRETION,  DENY  A
 REGISTRATION,  REREGISTRATION,  RENEWAL,  REPLACEMENT OR TRANSFER OF THE
 REGISTRATION FOR ANY OTHER MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTERED IN THE NAME  OF  THE
 APPLICANT  WHERE  THE COMMISSIONER HAS DETERMINED THAT SUCH REGISTRANT'S
 INTENT HAS BEEN TO EVADE THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH  AND  WHERE  THE
 COMMISSIONER  HAS  REASONABLE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH REGISTRATION,
 REREGISTRATION, RENEWAL, REPLACEMENT OR TRANSFER  OF  REGISTRATION  WILL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06613-01-3
              

 A. 5234                             2
 
 HAVE  THE EFFECT OF DEFEATING THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH. SUCH VEHI-
 CLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER BLOCK AND DENIAL SHALL ONLY REMAIN  IN  EFFECT
 UNTIL  THE  TOLLING  AUTHORITY  ADVISES,  IN SUCH FORM AND MANNER AS THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PRESCRIBE,  THAT  NOTICES  OF  VIOLATION  HAVE BEEN
 RESPONDED TO AND ANY UNPAID TOLLS, FEES OR OTHER CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH
 THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER HAVE BEEN PAID TO  THE
 TOLLING AUTHORITY.
   §  2.  Subdivision 8 of section 402 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
 amended by chapter 451 of the laws  of  2021,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   8.  A  violation  of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not
 less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars, except  that  a
 violation of subparagraph (ii) or subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b) of
 subdivision  one  of  this  section shall be punishable by a fine of not
 less than fifty nor more than three hundred dollars.   A POLICE  OFFICER
 AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION  ONE  HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER ACTING
 PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL SEIZE AND CONFISCATE ANY COVERING AFFIXED
 OVER THE NUMBER PLATES WHICH OBSCURES THE ABILITY TO  EASILY  READ  SUCH
 NUMBER  PLATES AND IS MADE OF GLASS OR ANY PLASTIC MATERIAL, EXCEPT THAT
 A VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS AND  THE
 OWNER  OF  THE VEHICLE WHO SUCH NUMBER PLATES WERE ISSUED SHALL HAVE ONE
 WEEK FROM THE DATE SUCH VIOLATION IS ISSUED TO REMOVE ANY ARTIFICIAL  OR
 SYNTHETIC  MATERIAL  OR  SUBSTANCE THAT CONCEALS OR OBSCURES SUCH NUMBER
 PLATES OR TO PURCHASE NEW NUMBER PLATES.
   § 3. Section 510 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 4-h to read as follows:
   4-H. SUSPENSION OF REGISTRATION FOR FAILURE TO  COMPLY  WITH  REMOVING
 ANY  ARTIFICIAL  OR  SYNTHETIC  MATERIAL  OR  SUBSTANCE THAT CONCEALS OR
 OBSCURES NUMBER PLATES OR THE PURCHASE OF NEW NUMBER PLATES.   UPON  THE
 RECEIPT  OF  A  NOTIFICATION  FROM A COURT OR AN ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
 THAT AN OWNER OF A MOTOR VEHICLE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH SUBDIVISION EIGHT
 OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, THE COMMISSIONER OR HIS  OR
 HER  AGENT SHALL SUSPEND THE REGISTRATION OF THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE
 VIOLATION AND SUCH SUSPENSION SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUCH TIME  AS
 THE COMMISSIONER IS ADVISED THAT THE OWNER OF SUCH VEHICLE HAS SATISFIED
 THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH SUBDIVISION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
 sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
 authorized to be made on or before such date.